The National tribune., 1887-04-07
IN LIBBY PRISON.



EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: An article
under the above heading appeared in your col
umns some time ago. in which the writer. h.
r. Reed, Madison, Wis., after giving an account
of the death of Charles L. Trowbridge in Prison
No. j at Richmond, Va, says:
I intrusted his watch memorandum and some
other things TO "A comrade who knew him, to be de-
learned whether his friends got the watch and the
other things or not and would very much like To
know.
am happy to inform Comrade Reed that ]
was the party to whom he gave the memoran-
dun, and that soon after my release from Sails
bury Prison visited Great Bend and gave the
articles 10 Charley's parents. From my own
diary, under date OF May %. 1862, the day we
were psroed from Salisbury, copy the follow
ing:
We took the precaution 20 secrete our papers and
letters. could bring them home. put Char:
ley Trowbridge's journal in n loaf or bread, and
my own diary hid in one side Of double can
teen. and so secreted them from the rebels.
would like TO add word which may in
terest some of your readers. Charley Trow-
bridge was favOrite with all who knew him.
j made his acquaintance in a singular manner
soon after going into Libby Prison, in July
1861. j was elbowing my way through the
crowd, scanning each face to see il there were
any whom j knew, when / saw face that
seemed very familiar 10 me, and asked:
"Are you any relation to Rutha L, OF
He said Yes; we are cousins"
The lady referred TO was classmate OF mine
and the resemblance was so striking that IL led
to our acquaintance. After this we bunked to-
gether on the floor for some time till went tC
the hospital 10 nurse the wounded. Some time
after i was put in charge Of the hospital kitchen
! 10 make beef-tea for the wounded, and Charley
was sent 10 No. Prison. He often came tC
! the kitchen with detail to draw rations fol
his comrades. and usually managed to get al
extra ration for him. When he could not come
he would sometimes send a note, and l would
answer with q bit Of meat bread, and some
! times sugar. The following is a copy Of one o.
the letters from him, which / still have:
RICHMOND, Sept. 6-Friday evening.
FRIEND CHARLEY: ] write you these few lines hop
ing that YOU will do something for poor body thn
/ Is about half starved. L do not uphold a man IL
stealing. still i do not think il would be laid w
against him for stealing something TO eat-ihat Is
| If he were as hungry h have been for the las
! three or -four rdays-consequently am going TO cal
on you. III you cannot get II without stealing II,
want you should take IL. / send you my haver
sack, which You can send back by the upper-hoo
squad. cannot get the chance 10 come afiei
ratious every time. You see this haversack coming
please look at il and think that am hungry
Hunger compels me TO write this
Your friend, c. Il. TRowBEIDGE.
A few days after this Charley was detailed Il
i aSSiSJ me Win tue cooking, Dub soon alIeT W.
were both relieved and sent to No. Prison
From this prison a squad was sent to New
4 Orleans. We started Sept 81. My comrad'
| Charley was not able to 90. i tried to persuade
him that we should not be separated, bat he fell
too i'll to undertake the journey, and they did
not compel him 10 go. he thought he would
soon go home. and promised TO tell my friends
about me, and so we parted. never TO meet again
on earth. In two weeks he passed away, a
Il,
OF the unknown graves among the thousand
who went down 10 death from those vile
Southern prisons.-C. B. FAIRcHILD, 9th N
| Y. 5I5 East Sith ST., New York city.